The port of Jaffa and its minaret

I am spending my last 24 hours in this country walking around the Old City of Jaffa. It is a beautiful town, with many cute cafes and restaurants, and great beaches; it has the flair of any seaside town. It feels like the perfect place to end my 3-month stay with the EAPPI. Here, there is a sense of harmony: Israelis and Palestinians coexist; in the streets, you hear Arabic as much as Hebrew; a blend of both cuisines is in the air and flavors all the dishes. Is it a false harmony? In many regards, probably! However, for a moment I don’t want to scratch the surface...

Then I am reminded of what is happening on the other side: yesterday, three of the new EAs placed in Jerusalem were attacked by a group of young settlers in Sheikh Jarrah [see: http://www.eappi.org/en/news/]. I am thinking of my colleagues and the difficult reality they are facing. They have just started and must wonder how much more violence they are going to witness. Witnesses we are; and soon we will have to speak up.